Twenty Shekels of Silver
Joseph’s brothers hated him. He was his father’s favourite, which they resented, and if his dreams were to be taken seriously (as Jacob suspected), he would ultimately reign over them, the idea of which was intolerable.
As such, the events of Genesis 37 presented Joseph’s brothers with a choice: to become Joseph’s subordinates or to accept twenty pieces of silver in exchange for his life.
Sadly, Judah and his brothers took the easy way out. And yet, remarkably, Joseph gave them a chance to redeem themselves.
When the ten brothers went to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph took Simeon captive and sent his brothers back to Canaan with their ten portions of silver in their bags (Gen. 42). Consequently, when the brothers (Benjamin now included) returned to Egypt a year later to buy more grain, they took the ten portions of silver they’d previously given Joseph together with ten additional portions of silver (Gen. 43.12), only for Joseph to put all twenty portions of silver back in their bags, hide his cup in Benjamin’s bag, and send the brothers back to Canaan again (Gen. 44.1–2). Joseph thus engineered a repeat of Genesis 37’s events. His cup was found in Benjamin’s bag, which gave the ten brothers a decision to make: to become Joseph’s slaves (Gen. 44.17) or to go their way with twenty portions of silver in exchange for their younger brother’s life.
Happily, the brothers did not repeat their sin. They bowed before Joseph (like the sheaves in Joseph’s dream), and Judah sacrificed his freedom for the sake of his father’s favourite.
But the story didn’t end there.
Fast forward two thousand years and consider Judah’s descendants, represented by Judah the disciple together with the nation of Judah.
Their father had sent his favoured son to them—a son of Joseph as it happens. Yet rather than have such a man rule over them, Judah’s descendant(s) betrayed him, this time for thirty pieces of silver—the value of a slave rather than a son (Exod. 21.29–32). Their silver was returned to them (Matt. 27.3–5) (since they had a chance to redeem themselves). Yet, rather than repent, they went the way of the old Judah, i.e., the Judah of Genesis 37. Driven by envy, Judah’s descendants took Jesus captive, cast him into a pit, and sat down to eat (the Passover). Then, when they arose to see what had become of Jesus, they found his pit/grave empty and devised a lie to cover up what had happened. It was a sad recapitulation of an old story.
And yet that story is not yet over. Scripture cannot be broken, and the call of God cannot be reversed. The day will come when Judah’s descendants will be given the heart of their father. The inhabitants of Judah will look upon the one whom they have pierced, and will mourn for him as a father would mourn the death of a firstborn son, i.e., as Jacob mourned the death of Joseph (Zech. 12.10–12). On that day, just as water flowed forth from the son of Joseph’s side, so ‘a fountain will be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness’ (Zech. 13.1).
Could this include a reversal of "From Abraham to the nations" to "The nations back to Abraham" as the fullness of gentiles enter God's kingdom and draw some Jews to jealousy?
I had a Hebrew teacher once say that Joseph’s brothers thought he was a gentile. They assumed their brother was long dead. But God — he came to maturity in the land of Egypt. He looked like an Egyptian, sounded like an Egyptian and was second in command in Egypt - they didn’t recognize him. He had a gentile bride and gentile children.
But he knew them - forgave them - loved them - saved them. Yes, I think it is definitely an “already but not yet” thing but the fullness of time will come.
And on the topic of Joseph’s son, David Mitchell wrote an incredibly fascinating book called “Messiah ben Joseph” - not what you think. I loved it.